Wednesday, October 20, 2010

More Christian Nation stuff

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

You can find transcripts of the debates during the continental congress. I would suppose that this amendment did not get a whole lot of opposing discussion. It is sound and rational and nobody wanted anyone else's religion imposed upon them. (Because many had just escaped the tyranny of the Church of England being imposed on them.)

Article Six of the Constitution, however, received much debate because of the following :

"but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

There were arguments that "pagans, deists, and Mahometans might obtain offices among us, and that the senators and representatives might all be pagans." - Henry Abbot and rebuttals of "But it is objected that the people of America may, perhaps, choose representatives who have no religion at all, and that pagans and Mahometans may be admitted into offices. But how is it possible to exclude any set of men, without taking away that principle of religious freedom which we ourselves so warmly contend for?" - James Iredell

Still, with full knowledge of all possible outcomes, the Founders signed the Constitution and the 13 States Ratified it (some votes were close though!). Therefore, I contest, that this was NOT founded as a Christian-only nation on purpose and with full knowledge.